Frozen Waves
by Scarlet Eve
Summary: [Ch 1] Noin had been entrusted by Zechs to keep Relena on the path of peace. But even princesses need a pep talk every now and then. [Ch 2] The walk to the party.
1. Chapter 1

Frozen Waves

by Scarlet Eve

* * *

_November_

_A.C. 195_

Noin couldn't sleep. In fact, ever since she saved Relena after the recently revealed Princess tried to gun down Colonel Une, Noin had been having a bad case of insomnia. Her hours during the night were spent worrying, worrying about Relena, about Zechs, about everything. And now, with the building of a mobile suit army going on under the Sanq Kingdom, Noin had even more to worry about.

She'd taken to wandering Relena's manor during the night, to try and clear her mind. On this particular night, she'd gotten out of bed around 2 in the morning, and wandered. The halls were chilly at night, and Noin's men's boxer shorts and oversized tank top were not enough to keep her from having goosebumps crawl up her arms and legs. She gave her arms a brisk rub and turned down another hall.

Up ahead, yellow light fell onto the floor and opposite wall in elongated diagonals, coming from the french doors that lead into one of the many parlors. Noin crept up carefully, and peeked her head around to look through the windows.

Relena sat on one of the couches, dressed in her light pink silk pajama top and pants. She was cross legged and had her elbow propped on her knee, where the heel of her hand was pressing into her brow. Her long hair was pulled into a messy bun at the back of her head. Beyond the couch, a fire was dying in the fireplace. All around Relena, books were lying either stacked or open, and there was a pad of paper and a pen beside her.

Noin opened the door slowly and walked across the carpeted floor. "You can't sleep either?" she asked. Relena's head jerked up, but she relaxed instantly when she saw Noin.

"No," Relena replied. Noin sat down on the couch opposite Relena and pulled her knees up underneath her.

"What are you working on?" Noin asked, gesturing to the mess surrounding Relena. She sighed.

"I was working on a lesson for Monday, but I got lost in the reading. And now I'm questioning everything I believe in." Relena glanced up and locked eyes with Noin. "You think my beliefs are ridiculous, don't you?"

Noin hesitated, and that seemed to be all the response that Relena needed. She let out a moan and leaned back in the couch and ran her hands over her face.

"There's nothing wrong with that you believe," Noin said, trying to appease the stressed out Princess. "We need people like you to keep the focus on the future, and what we can achieve."

"But total pacifism is impossible, is it not? At least, that's what everyone says." Noin shrugged her shoulders.

"Everyone has an opinion," she said. "but that doesn't mean you need to give up yours."

"I suppose." The defeat in Relena's voice hurt Noin. This was the opposite of what Noin was supposed to be doing for Relena, the task set forth by her brother. His vague instructions had been to keep Relena on the path of total pacifism, no matter how crazy it might sound. Noin didn't like being out of the loop with Zechs, but she trusted his judgment. Most of the time, anyway.

"Giving up was never the Peacecraft way," Noin said, hoping the jab would snap Relena out of her mood. The young girl looked up at Noin, an eyebrow quirked.

"I never said I was giving up," Relena said defensively. Noin tightened her lips to keep from smiling. "Anyway, I've come this far-" Noin nodded her head in agreement. "I just need to sleep on it." Noin watched her, but Relena made no move to get up and abandon her work. Instead, she absently began to thumb through the book nearest her.

"What are you researching, exactly?" Noin asked, leaning forward to try and read some of the titles on the books.

"The history of war, personal accounts of wars, that sort of thing," Relena said. Noin frowned. Those topics were the last thing she thought Relena would have an interest in.

"Why?"

"To help me better understand peace." Relena paused and looked up at Noin, who was staring back at her skeptically. "It was Heero's idea."

_Huh…_ Noin thought to herself. _Heero's idea?_ She was a little impressed. Noin watched the younger girl, and saw the pink flush creep across her cheeks and run to the tips of her ears, which were usually covered by her long hair.

"Heero is a great asset to have here, isn't he?" Noin asked, shifting her body around to sit cross legged. Relena's subtle body movements, the brief pause in her page flipping, the quick purse of the lips, did not go unnoticed under the scrutiny of Noin.

"Yes," Relena responded quietly. "It won't last, I know, but I appreciate him while he's here." The disappointment and sadness in Relena's voice were quite evident to Noin, and the older woman's heart went out to Relena.

"You care for him," Noin said. She watched Relena take a deep breath, her eyes still staring down at the pile of books on the floor.

"It feels… complicated."

"What do you mean?" Relena didn't answer for several moments, her eyes staring absently towards the fireplace. Finally, she looked up and met Noin's eyes.

"My heart desperately wants him around, but my mind knows he must go where he's needed, to continue the fight for peace. But I hardly know anything about him," Relena said. "But that doesn't make me care less."

"I don't think anyone knows much about him," Noin added, then gave Relena a sly look. "It's what makes him so intriguing." There was a shy smile on her face, cheeks still pink, and turning into a deeper red.

"I suppose." Relena's mouth clamped shut, like she was desperately trying to keep herself from saying anything more. Noin stared her down. As a girl, Noin had always wanted a sister, to have these kinds of conversations with. Besides, Noin felt it was unfair for a fifteen year old girl to miss out on a real teenage experience.

Not that Noin really knew what that was like. She'd been training for war.

Much like Relena, in her own way.

"I admire you, Relena," Noin said. Relena's eyes fluttered, confused by the abrupt change of topic.

"Why?"

"You've taken everything that life has thrown at you in stride. Most people would crumble under the pressure."

"If I didn't, who would?" Relena asked. A frown appeared on her face, a fine line between her eyebrows deepening. A shadow passed over her face, touching the lines under her eyes, the downward turn of her lips, the heaviness of her eyelids. Noin rose from the couch and crossed over to sit beside Relena. She rested a hand on Relena's shoulder.

"You're right. Since your biological parents' deaths, and the assassination of Heero Yuy, no one has been brave enough to stand up for total pacifism. But here you are," Noin said, her smile glowing in the light from the fireplace. Relena gave her a sad smile.

"Thank you, Noin. Lately it has felt like I've fallen in frozen waves and can't swim to shore," Relena said. "Sometimes I just need that reassurance that I'm not in over my head."

_You are in a little over your head,_ Noin thought. She watched Relena for a moment. Her frowns made her look much older than she was - and looked very much like Zechs' frowns. Noin picked out their similarities, such as the curve of their jaws and the shape of their noses, but their eyes couldn't be more different.

Relena was looking at her now.

"You love my brother very much, don't you? To stick around here?" Relena asked, her face the picture of innocence. Noin's mouth fell open, and she tried to speak. Relena smirked. "I might have overheard a conversation you had with him."

Noin frowned. "You shouldn't eavesdrop, young lady." This made Relena laugh, and finally, she set aside her books. Noin shook her head but a smile replace her frown. "You're right, though. I do. Enough to let him graduate first in our class." Relena quirked an eyebrow.

"You _let _him? Why?" Noin shrugged.

"Men have big egos," she replied. "Sometimes women have to let the men win, to keep them from getting too grumpy." The girls giggled together.

"Is this how we deal with all men?" Relena asked.

"Should be on a case by case basis," Noin replied. She shifted her legs around and leaned into the cushions on the couch. "Take Heero, for example. He and your brother are quite similar, but must be dealt with differently."

Relena eyed Noin, her lips pursed in thought. "I suppose. They both quite stubborn."

"But your brother wasn't raised from childhood to be a soldier." Relena chewed her lip.

"How do you know that Heero was?" she asked, the words coming slow. Noin may have flushed a bit, but she ignored the possibility.

"He mentioned it, sort of in passing," Noin replied. She saw Relena's eye darken, her gaze shift away. But it wasn't anger in her face, it was resolve. Inspiration. Watching her, the memory resurfaced in Noin's mind of Relena in her white dress, a pistol in her gloved hands - the white a stark contrast to her recent loss of innocence. "What are you thinking?"

Relena met her eyes once more. "That I must work harder to succeed to-" She paused. A shadow had appeared on the floor. Heero stood in the doorway, his dark hair messy from sleep. "-to save him," she finished in a low whisper. Noin hid her smile behind her hand and rose from the couch.

"Try to get some sleep tonight," Noin said, and walked towards the door. Heero was staring her down, his face expressionless. She nodded once to him, and he stepped aside to allow her to pass.

As Noin walked down the hall, she glanced back over her shoulder. Heero had stepped inside the library and was closing the door.

"Relena."

* * *

A/N: I might write more. Idk. Ideas of where to go? Lol

-SE


	2. Chapter 2

Frozen Waves

Chapter 2

by Scarlet Eve

* * *

A/N: This one goes back in the GW timeline to Episode 6 - Party Night. It's a part I always wished had been shown.

* * *

_Heero_

She walked ahead of him, her shoulders back, a confident tilt to her chin. Heero stared hard at the back of her head - any more and he'd burn holes in her skull. But his glares no longer affected her. She simply matched him, challenging him. It made him uncomfortable, to see this swift change in her from the first time he met her. Her gaze was harder now, and a world of responsibility had settled on her shoulders.

All because OZ had killed her father.

He lessened his gaze. Was he supposed to feel sorry for her?

Relena Darlian, now Peacecraft, slowed her pace and stopped in front of a large portrait hanging on the wall. Heero halted.

"I'm sure you'd appreciate some discretion," she said, a smile on her face. Heero raised a brow, waiting. Relena slipped her fingers behind the gilded frame, until he heard a _click_. The portrait opened away from the wall, and Relena pulled it open all the way, revealing a darkened stair.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Servant passages. It'll lead us into the ballroom without making a grand entrance," she replied. The corner of Heero's mouth twitched into a tiny smile. Without another word, Relena whisked down the steps, her skirts rustling together. Heero followed and carefully closed the portrait door behind them.

The hall was plain, lit by recessed lighting in the ceiling. The heels of their shoes clicked on the cement floor. Heero's glare returned automatically. The press of his pistol against his back reminded him that right now, he could finish her off, and no one would know. And his problems with her would be over.

_Trust her_.

The brief message from Dr. J swam before his eyes. It had been hidden within the details of his next mission. She met him in the colonies. Heero frowned. What could Dr. J have possibly seen in this girl? She's rich, but how could that make her useful?

Heero wanted to growl, but he held it back. The hall was too quiet. What was once supposed to be a simple mission has gotten more and more complicated. If Heero was completely honest, however, he'd know that nothing happening now was ever supposed to happen. He was supposed to be dead.

He squeezed and released his fists, attempting to dispel extra energy coursing through his body. As the end of the hall grew closer, Heero felt more and more like a dog cornered, baring his fangs. But then she... _Relena_... she threw him a look over her shoulder, a smile, and his tension released. It was a startling feeling, so suddenly feel calm. Heero recited in his mind the bit of a news article he'd read about her-

_Vice Minister Darlian, just before he passed, is said to have revealed to his daughter, Relena Darlian, that she is the blood daughter of King Marticus Rex Peacecraft, former leader of the Sanc Kingdom. The lost Princess has been found, so where is the Prince?_

She's a natural born leader, raised in politics, with royal blood in her veins. She could end up being a powerful player in this war, now that everyone knows her secret. Perhaps that's the reason Dr. J said to trust her.

But that still didn't explain why he'd been so unable to destroy her, even when he had the chance. Something in his mind told him "no," and held back the trigger finger. Nothing in his training prepared him to deal with this type of situation… or rather, this type of person. A woman. There had been a few women who had trained in the same places as he, but they were just as disinterested in him as he'd been in them. They were brutal and harsh - he'd had more in common with them as fellow soldiers. But Relena was something different. She was softer, kinder, and more interested in him as a person. And he wasn't sure how to interpret the feelings that fact elicited. It was, however, very distracting.

They'd reached the door. Relena placed her hand on the knob and turned it slowly. The sounds of music began to fill the air, and the smell of bodies and food wafted into the hall. Heero grimaced once more before Relena grabbed his wrist and drew him out into the party.

* * *

_Relena_

As Relena promised, she brought Heero out from the servant passage, behind a heavy curtain, where they were able to slip into the throng of people without being noticed. It was like they'd been there all along.

It couldn't be helped that they'd eventually stand out- Relena and Heero both still wore their school uniform. Relena told her friends that her dress hadn't been ready, but in reality, she wasn't planning on attending this party. It was at her mother's urging that she not stay home and dwell on her father's death, that Relena finally relented, and chose to use this as an opportunity to talk to Heero.

She could feel how his body tensed when she pulled him out into the ballroom. A smile crossed her face.

Once among the group of people along one side of the wall, Relena released her hold on his wrist and chanced a glance at him. He was glaring out at the party. He turned his head and met her eyes, and to Relena's immense surprise, he held a hand to her.

"Heero?"

"Come on," he said in a rather demanding voice. Relena rested her hand in his, and he closed his fingers. With a gentle tug, he led her through the crowd and out onto the dance floor. The current song was ending, so when Heero stopped in the middle of the floor, they waited until the next song began.

Already, Relena could feel the eyes and hear the whispers, and she knew Heero could to. He didn't seem to care.

"We cannot be overheard here," he said, as if she'd asked for an explanation. The orchestra swelled into another waltz, and Heero stepped towards her, taking one hand roughly in his, while circling her waist with the other. Still caught off guard, Relena responded automatically by placing her hand on his shoulder, and he stepped towards her, leading the way into the three-beat waltz. Relena released her impulse to control the dance, and Heero easily took the lead.

"You can dance," Relena said. He nodded, his eyes staring into her's; she felt like he was trying to read her mind. Relena pushed back by giving him her own stare, pairing it with a smirk.

They danced. Other guests followed with their eyes. Relena was at ease among the stares- it was something she'd dealt with for as long as she could remember. However, she could detect that Heero was uncomfortable, by the nearly imperceptible ways his eyes darted around the room. Or perhaps he wasn't uncomfortable, and he was just checking for all the exits, or making sure no one was attacking.

The stretch of silence between them went on for far too long. Relena broke it.

"Heero, I know too much about you. Are you still gonna kill me?" she asked. Heero's eyes flicked towards hers. He nodded slightly.

"Yeah." Relena shrugged her shoulders.

"I didn't want to die with no answers. But now it's different. Now I know how you feel when you fight," Relena replied. She closed her eyes, trusting Heero to continue to lead her through the dance. She pulled up the anger she's been squashing since the explosion that ultimately killed her father. It crawled through her body, touching every nerve until her body hummed. Heero's hand, the one that held her's, flinched.

"Huh? On my side?"

A rumbling began to shake the building, and screams of the students filled the air. Heero released Relena, and in an instant, disappeared. Relena watched until she realized that her classmates have no idea how to respond in an emergency. She dashed off to be of help.

* * *

A/N: If you want my overly romantic/mushy "missing scenes," check out my fic "Interlude." Thanks for reading!

-Scarlet Eve


End file.
